Number 10
by Setkia
Summary: "Apparently, I overworked myself so Yamamoto has forced me to take a vacation," Toshiro said, rolling his eyes at the mere idea. "They've sent me here with a gigai and took away my Zanpakuto. I've been banished from the Soul Society until I've learnt to 'have fun'." "That still doesn't explain why you're here." "I'm still on the roster, aren't I?"
1. A Forced Vacation

_Author's Note: I do not own __**Bleach**__ or else I would be a much happier person. Anyway, so I think these two are adorable and thought of this idea. I'm motivated by reviews to write more so if you like it, you have to review and tell me so I know I'm doing something right here. I'm hoping that when I write, I can keep the characters in character as much as I can unless the story forces them otherwise. I'll try to use the suffixes and write the way the manga does, with the whole last name first then first name, it's a little weird to me, but I'll give it a shot. Also, when writing this, if I make a mistake, story wise, it would be great if you could tell me. I quite personally, am not the biggest fan of Toshiro's new look, (with the flatter hair) so still has the awesome spiky hair thing going on for the sake of this story. I haven't even finished the __**Bleach**__ anime yet, I'm like, almost in the 200s of episodes though. I know the time-skip is of 17 months. This story is set after 3 years of the original story, which means that every character is three years older. Ichigo would be 18 and Karin would be 14. I'm sorry if I get facts wrong about past things that occur, please correct me if I do. Reviews will help tell me if I'm doing this right so do me a favor and review. Alright, most author's notes shouldn't be that long so I think this'll be the longest one. Also, I will mention you in the next chapter if you review! The story doesn't really start but this part sets the scene. Please review. 5 reviews will tell me to continue._

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Prologue: A Forced Vacation

"Matsumoto said you wanted to see me, Commander?" the silver haired prodigy asked, nodding his head in respect towards his superior. "I hate to be rude, but I have much work to do and must see to it so if you could please tell me what was so important a Hell Butterfly couldn't inform me of it, I would be grateful."

"That's exactly what I wish to speak to you about," Commander Yamamoto said, eyeing the youth. "Hitsugaya, you understand that in comparison to the other taichoes you are the youngest and the least experienced. Though this does not effect your work effort and success as a taicho, your bankai still needs work so that you may last longer in battle. You have been working on it rigorously if I'm correct. You have a time limit each time you take on bankai form and along with your bankai, you have much paperwork and a squad to command. You are undoubtably a hard worker, however-"

"Once again, pardon me for sounding rude, but what is the point of the matter? I must get back to my work and therefore if there are any interruptions that can be avoided, I will without a doubt ask to have them removed."

"Fair enough. I'll be direct and to the point. Hitsugaya, you have worked so hard recently that you're wearing thin. You have bags underneath your eyes, you are buried in paperwork, have commanded a squad while running low on sleep, are constantly out of energy and are incapable of performing at your best when you are currently in this state. For this reason, I am going to send you to the World of the Living for a much needed vacation."

"Vacation?" the young taicho asked, his teal eyes widening.

"Yes," Yamamoto replied seriously. "I do not joke about these things and it concerns me when one of my taichoes have decreasing health. Further more, you are to give me your Zanpakuto and I will give you a gigai. Once this has been completed, you are to live in the human world until you have had some overdue fun."

"F-fun?"

The word felt weird as it left his mouth, a frown on his face. Fun? He wasn't permitted to come back to the Soul Society due to overworking himself and therefore he would be punished by being banished, left without his Zanpakuto and forced to have _fun_? What was fun? Taichoes did not do "_fun_".

"But Commander," the prodigy said, trying to argue though it was clear Yamamoto's mind was made up. "Surely you can't be serious-"

"I'm deadly serious Hitsugaya," the Commander of the Gotei 13 said. "This is not optional. You are to hand over your Zanpakuto and I will send you to the World of the Living."

Letting out a deep breath, knowing that it was impossible for him to win this argument the silver haired Soul Reaper nodded. "Of course Commander."

It was official.

Hitsugaya Toshiro was going on vacation.


	2. Meet The Kurosakis

_Author's Note #1: I don't own _**_Bleach_**_, I hope no one's out of character but they'll probably be a little out of character. I don't know how Japanese stuff works so I was using the internet to do this so if this is wrong, sorry! I recently saw__** Bleach: DiamondDust Rebellion.**__ I don't know why it's called that if they call about 15 minutes screen time a main character, then that's pretty sad. The whole plot revolves around Toshiro and yet where is he? NOT THERE! My friend decided it would be awesome if the Zanpakutos had a meeting like that women's association so that's another story, a oneshot I'll probably write. I mean, you get an awesome bankai and you use it as a ladder?! Really Renji? Okay, rant over. Please enjoy. At least 5 reviews before I update again._

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Chapter One: Meet The Kurosakis

"KARIN!"

The silver haired shinigami looked down from his rooftop view and zeroed in on the dark haired girl as she raced across the field, dribbling the ball between her legs as she dodged the other players on her team, practicing her kick. She aimed the ball at the goal and he couldn't help but want to crack a ghost of a smile as she scored.

Standing up, he looked down at the kids who played. He eyed the monotone coloured ball as it swerved around the field, calculating his timing perfectly. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself before launching his body off the roof.

"HEY!"

"What does that kid think he's doing?"

"He's going to get himself killed!"

"KARIN! WATCH OUT!"

He stole the ball far too quickly for most to see before he dribbled down the field, avoiding the teammates. Seeing as he was on no team, he didn't rely on anyone as he dodged one of the defensive players. He stood in front of the net for a moment before kicking it in. He turned around and noticed that this team was different from the one he remembered. _A lot changes in three years,_ he thought to himself.

She had changed a little too. Despite the fact that her hair had grown slightly and she now wore a proper uniform, there wasn't that much of a difference from the girl he remembered. She stared at him with wide onyx eyes.

"Toshiro?"

Hitsugaya Toshiro, taicho of Squad 10, child prodigy and the youngest shinigami to reach bankai was leaning against the cold white pole of the Karakura soccer field in a black golf polo shirt with the number 46 over his heart and a pair of grey pants.

"W-what are you doing here?" Karin asked, eyeing Toshiro in confusion. He expected her to be confused though he didn't expect her eyes to bulge so wide and for her to look so . . . cute? Was that the word? "Did you get another holiday?"

Toshiro looked around the soccer field for a moment. He wasn't comfortable around people he didn't know and on top of it, they were all staring at him. He heard one say that he looked like a juvenile delinquent and that he bleached his hair. _Why is this so familiar? _He didn't want the others to be around when he spoke, he'd prefer to be around someone he was familiar with. Then again, he didn't know Karin all too well but at least they were closer than these strangers who were debating how much hair gel he used. Of course, the final straw had to be the comment on his height.

"Who are you calling small?" Toshiro demanded, his eyes blazing with dislike and his fists clenched. If only he had his Zanpakuto . . . Toshiro was not as small as he had been when he had first visited. He wasn't much taller though now he was four foot six, an inch taller than Karin.

"Karin, who is this guy?" one of the teammates asked, looking at Toshiro nervously.

"Uh, right," Karin said. She pointed to Toshiro, "Guys, Hitsugaya Toshiro, Toshiro, my team," she gestured towards the four boys who stared at the taicho with fear in their eyes. "Why are you here?" Karin asked.

Toshiro didn't answer. He merely stared at the four who stared back at him. It had become a staring contest. Toshiro found it incredibly childish and immature and yet they were making him as uneasy as he made them.

"Uh, we'll see you later Karin!" one of the boys said and like a pack, they all ran off, tripping over their feet in an attempt to get away.

"Thanks for ruining my practice," Karin snapped. "Now why don't you tell me why you're here? If you're a taicho, don't you have more important things to do than terrify grade schoolers?"

_Yes, in fact I do. Paperwork for one thing._

"Apparently, I overworked myself so Yamamoto has forced me to take a vacation," Toshiro said, rolling his eyes at the mere idea. "They've sent me here with a gigai and took away my Zanpakuto. I've been banished from the Soul Society until I've learnt to 'have fun'."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here."

"I'm still on the roster, aren't I?" Toshiro asked, raising an eyebrow. "Unless you took me off the list?"

"N-no, you're still on," Karin said, confused. "But why soccer?"

"Why not?" Toshiro replied with the same bored look on his face that he always wore. He unfolded his arms and eyed the ball at Karin's feet. "Anyway, I need a place to stay."

"W-wait a minute, you think you can just jump onto the field, impress the team with your soccer skills and just get a place on the team?" Karin demanded. "It doesn't work like that!"

"Then how _does_ it work?" Toshiro asked. "I'm a good player and from what I've seen, even though this team's better than your last one, it's still dreadful. If you want to win, you have to get more than one decent player."

"Hey!"

"You have to admit, your team's pretty pathetic," Toshiro said. "Try outs are a waste of time so there's no point in my attending one. Besides, if I'm right, the soccer season's half-way done. I see no reason to hold try outs when it's the midway point. And anyway, what's the problem with replacing one of your players?"

"While _you_ may get a spot," Karin said, hands on her hips, "that means someone else has to sacrifice _their_ spot. All of my team members are dedicated and love soccer. Just because when you're a shinigami and you're also a taicho doesn't mean you can kick one of my friends off the team because you're in desperate need of 'fun'."

Toshiro rolled his eyes. "Are you done?"

"No," Karin snapped. "Furthermore, you can't ditch us when we have practice. The only reason we didn't totally chew you out for appearing late during that soccer game before was because you never said you'd show up to practice but if you replace someone on this team, you sure as hell better make an effort to turn up whenever we have practices! You can't pull another stunt like showing up half-way through a game again! You have to be serious, we're dedicated when we play, there are no exceptions to that rule, even if you _are_ a shinigami."

"Are you done _now_?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes." Karin was panting after her long rant and yet Toshiro still had the same expression on his face as her cheeks slowly turned pink, having forgotten to take a breath in between scolding him.

"Good." Toshiro took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before he started screaming at the young member of the Kurosaki family. It wouldn't do any good to blow his top when he was trying to make a deal with her. "Now, do you want to win or not?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Karin demanded, hands on her hips. "Of course I want to win!"

"Then it would do you good to have another good player on your team, unless of course, you enjoy losing all the time," Toshiro said. Karin wanted to hit him. He just stood there with the same unchanging expression on his face and she couldn't understand it. Just how did he seem so indifferent to everything?

"We'll have a private try out tomorrow and then I'll see what I'll do with you," Karin decided finally, looking at the taicho with a smirk on her face. He looked slightly alarmed. It was always fun to surprise someone who was always so serious.

"Why are you talking like you have the final say?" Toshiro asked her curiously after the alarmed look on his face disappeared. Karin was disappointed. It had been there for less than five seconds.

"Because, _Hitsugaya-taicho,_ _you_ might be the captain of the tenth squad in Soul Society, but here in Karakura, _I'm_ the captain of the soccer team."

Toshiro looked at her strangely when she said Hitsugaya-taicho. He didn't like the way it sounded coming from her. Normally, he loved hearing people call him Hitsugaya-taicho. It mean they acknowledged the fact that he was skilled and their superior despite the age difference and uh, _height_. But coming from Kurosaki Karin? For some reason, he didn't like it. It sounded too professional. Too detached. Like she was a stranger rather than- well, wasn't she a stranger? He didn't know much about her. Toshiro shook his head. Now was not the time to contemplate the kind of relationship he had with Karin.

"I assume you haven't got anywhere to stay," Karin said. "Unless you want to stay at Grandma's." She thought for a moment. "Why didn't you stay with Grandma Haru when you were on vacation? Why stay with me?"

Toshiro didn't feel like explaining, or rather, he couldn't explain and instead chose to tch.

"Fine, be that way." Karin picked up the soccer ball and rolled her eyes. "You can stay at my house, but you are _not_ sleeping in my closet," Karin said immediately, sending Toshiro a pointed look.

The taicho looked at her confused. "Why would I want to do that?"

Karin sighed and waved this comment away. "Never mind."

* * *

"YUZU! I'M HOME!"

Toshiro didn't bother blinking. He was used to loud noises considering the fact that Matsumoto was always drunk and loud whenever he came into his office. He stuffed his hands into the uncomfortable jeans that he was forced to wear in the human world and shook his head silently.

"Karin!"

The light brown haired girl ran up to her sister, smiling. "Practice was good?" she asked.

"Yeah, until a certain _midget_ showed up and ruined it," Karin said, glaring in Toshiro's direction. Toshiro curled his fists at his sides, trying his hardest not to scream. The only person he was on good terms with in the Kurosaki family would be Kurosaki Ichigo but even then, there was trouble seeing as in Toshiro's opinion, it was mainly tolerance that he had for the orange haired substitute. He did not find it a good idea to start screaming over a trivial matter such as his height, regardless of how irked he was.

Kurosaki Yuzu turned towards Toshiro as though seeing him for the first time. "Do I know you? You look familiar."

Toshiro opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Yuzu as she snapped her fingers.

"Oh, I remember! You were here a few years ago, right? You're Karin's boyfriend!"

Toshiro closed his eyes and shook his head. Yuzu was lucky he didn't have his Zanpakuto. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before he sighed and said, "No, that's not it. I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I'm Hitsugaya Toshiro."

Yuzu grinned. "You know, for a grade schooler, you talk like you're an old man!" Yuzu said with a grin. "I'm Kurosaki Yuzu," she introduced herself. "Nice to meet you Toshiro-kun!"

Toshiro's fist clenched. "That's Hitsugaya-tai-"

"Toshiro," Karin snapped, jabbing him in the ribs. In a loud whisper, she hissed, "You can't go around asking people to call you Hitsugaya-taicho unless you want to be looked at like a complete freak you baka!"

"What was that?" Yuzu asked. "I should call you Hitsugaya?"

"No," Toshiro mumbled, a frown on his face. Giving up the title of taicho was like being stripped of his authority and bringing him down to his very knees, leaving him weak. There was no reason to appear even more defenceless since he didn't have his Zanpakuto. Take away his captaincy and Toshiro felt like Karin had stripped him of his identity. In order to fit into the World of the Living though, he would have to get used to Toshiro-kun. "No, it's nothing. Toshiro-kun is fine."

"YUZU-CHAN! MY DARLING DAUGHTER IS HOME!"

Toshiro's eyes widened. Who was that?

In came a tall man with dark hair, a goofy grin on his face. Toshiro eyed the man. _He looks familiar. Very familiar. Why is that? _Toshiro's mind ran through a list of people who this man could possibly be before the man stared at Toshiro. He blinked once. Twice. Thrice. And then-

"HAS MY DARLING KARIN-CHAN BROUGHT HOME MY NEW SECOND SON?!"

Toshiro's eyes widened, the teal colour in his irises dilating.

"W-what?" he asked.

He could barely say a word before the new man wrapped his arms tightly around Toshiro's body, towering over him as he nearly choked the young taicho to death. "Oh, my Karin-chan is growing up!" The man looked down at Toshiro who's face could not be wiped clean of his surprised expression. "Now listen to me here young man, you are to treat my Karin-chan right. If she has any complaints about you, me and my first son will hunt you down, understood?"

"Wait! That's not it! It's not like that," Toshiro said, pushing away the man. He dusted off his clothes as he tried to straighten himself once more. "You don't understand!" Toshiro tried to fight down the blush that wished to arise on his cheeks. He had never felt so undignified and this included the time Matsumoto had told him he ought to bathe with her in the Health World spa.

"I understand that you are male, but I'm hoping my little Karin-chan will wait, if you get what I mean?" the man asked, jabbing Toshiro in the ribs painfully. Toshiro nearly fell over but he quickly regained his balance.

"Yes but no," Toshiro said, absolutely certain he was blushing. He was glad the Soul Society was not here to witness this though now he was cursing Yamamoto's name. Toshiro closed his eyes and calmed himself down. Finally, he opened his eyes with a new patience. "Kurosaki, you do not understand the circumstances. I am not your daughter's . . . boyfriend," the word sounded strange on his tongue. "I'm merely a friend. My name's Hitsugaya Toshiro. Your daughter invited me to stay at your house until I can find a more permanent dwelling, though if it's a trouble for you, I can find another place of residence."

Kurosaki Isshin tilted his head to the side and eyed the silver haired boy. "You know Yuzu-chan," he said, speaking to his other daughter, "I thought Karin-chan liked taller men and isn't this Toshiro-kun on the uh . . . _short_, side?"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

Karin grabbed Toshiro's arm before he proceeded to use some form of shinigami magic to incinerate her Otosan on the spot. "Calm down Toshiro," she told him in the most gentle voice she could manage. "I know he's a baka but try not to kill him."

"My dear Karin-chan, you're growing up so fast!" Isshin said with a large grin on his face. "And then you'll be moving out and getting new home and getting a job because I will not allow my Karin-chan to be a housewife! And then . . . and then you won't need me anymore!" The man began to cry as Karin rolled her eyes.

"What did you make for dinner Yuzu?" Karin asked, walking past her Otosan who crouched down to the floor in the fetal position. "Ignore him," she added. "He does this all the time."

Toshiro was used to adapting to strange situations and this was no exception. He hesitantly walked into the house. He eyed the man on the floor, wondering why he was so familiar before he followed Karin into the kitchen.

"So Toshiro-kun, what do you like to eat?" Yuzu asked, fanning her passed out father as Toshiro took a seat at the table cautiously.

"Um . . ." Toshiro stared at his fingers. "I like watermelon," Toshiro said quietly.

"Oh! Good! I bought a watermelon just yesterday!" Yuzu said with a smile before turning around and going to the fridge to get the watermelon.

Karin snickered.

"What?" Toshiro asked, turning towards her.

"Watermelon?" Karin repeated.

"KARIN! YUZU! I'M HOME!"

The front door opened and in walked the substitute shinigami. Toshiro shook his head. He had forgotten that the Kurosaki family was fairly large.

"Yuzu, what's for dinn- WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?"

Toshiro sighed and rolled his eyes. "Is there a problem Kurosaki?" he asked calmly.

"Toshiro?! Why are you here?" Kurosaki Ichigo demanded, pointing an accusing finger in Toshiro's direction.

"That's Hitsugaya-taicho to you," Toshiro said automatically. As part of instinct, his teal gaze hardened in Ichigo's direction.

Ichigo's amber eyed gaze was dark and harsh before he realized Toshiro was sitting next to Karin. "Get away from my little sister!"

"Ichi-nii, relax!" Karin said, rolling her eyes. "Toshiro's not doing anything wrong."

Ichigo waited for a moment, snickering. He waited for Toshiro to correct his sister, to call him "Hitsugaya-taicho" as he had just done to him but it never came. His eyes widened. "Oh, _Toshiro_ is it?" Ichigo demanded. "Since when is it _Toshiro_?"

Toshiro gritted his teeth and clenched his fists underneath the table. "Kurosaki, you're lucky that Yamamoto took away my Zanpakuto," Toshiro said.

"The old man took away your sword?" Ichigo asked. "What'd you do, get kicked out?"

"I'm on vacation," Toshiro replied calmly though anyone could see the blazing fire in his eyes.

"On vacation? Do shinigamis even have vacations?"

"It was an involuntary break I assure you," Toshiro said.

Ichigo grunted as he glared at Toshiro. The two met each other head on, amber meeting teal. Though no swords were drawn, the tension was thick in the air. "Why you little sonofa-"

"Is this good for you, Toshiro-kun?" Yuzu asked, walking in with a plate of watermelon slices. She placed it on the table in front of Toshiro who stared down at it in shock. He nodded numbly as Ichigo stared at him.

"Thank-you," Toshiro said. He hadn't seen so much watermelon in a single place since . . .

"The great Hitsugaya Toshiro likes watermelon?" Ichigo demanded. He began to laugh, holding his stomach as he keeled over. Toshiro merely picked up a slice of watermelon and began to eat it, his table manners having improved since his youth. He finished the plate calmly while Yuzu tried to handle the hysterical Ichigo and her catatonic Otosan.

Toshiro placed a napkin on his now empty plate. "May I be excused?" he asked Karin.

"Why are you acting like you're in some royal palace?" Karin asked, raising an eyebrow. "This isn't like dinner at the Queen's."

"I'll take that as a yes," Toshiro said. He pushed out his chair before pushing it back in and leaving Karin staring at the chair he had been sitting in not moments ago.

* * *

Karakura town was bland in Toshiro's opinion. It seemed that the only thing that made it important whatsoever was that it was the substitute shinigami's permanent residence. Otherwise it was a boring town which was forced to be the setting of many unsettling events. Though the town was nothing special, it had some of the best views.

It was peaceful to watch the setting sun. Seeing the clouds slowly turn an orange and pink shade.

"There you are!"

Toshiro cringed.

"What is it with you and high places?"

Toshiro turned to see Karin as he expected. She sat down next to him on the roof's surface next to him. Toshiro flinched away from her. "So why are you up here?" she asked.

Toshiro didn't answer and instead chose to stare at the setting sun.

"You know, in order to have a conversation, both parties have to participate," Karin said with a frown. "You're so moody! You expect me to put a bipolar midget on my team?"

Toshiro's forehead throbbed but he controlled himself as hard as it was, trying to stop himself from yelling. He quite frankly wanted to be back in the Soul Society, behind his desk, doing his paperwork and - if he was lucky- Matsumoto would be doing hers.

"Okay, fine, if you won't tell me why you're up here, can you tell me how long you'll be here?"

"Until Yamamoto has decided I've had enough fun," Toshiro replied.

"How is he supposed to know that?" Karin asked, taking her legs out from under her and laying them out before her. She let her feet kick against each other as she spoke. "Does he have a shinigami magic ball or something?"

"Where do you come up with these things?" Toshiro asked, shaking his head.

"I dunno, where do you come up with the idea that jumping onto a soccer field in the middle of a practice and stealing the ball is normal?" Karin retorted. "Anyway, are you coming back? We have the guest bedroom all set up."

"Your brother's fine with my staying at your house?" Toshiro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He's reluctant but I pointed out that since he let Rukia stay in his closet it's only fair we give you a place to stay," Karin said, shrugging. "Come on, get off the roof. You can't act emo all the time."

"Emo?" Toshiro repeated, confused. He didn't like not understanding things.

"Come on you small lump," Karin said, standing up and holding out her hand to him. "We've got to get going before Ichi-nii changes his mind and decides to kick you to the curb."

Toshiro stared at her hand as though it were a foreign object that he had never seen before. Suddenly, he realized something. "Little lump?"

"Well, I'd say big but you aren't too tall now, are you?" Karin teased mockingly. "Let's go."

Toshiro took her hand and slowly pulled himself up using her as leverage. When he stood up, he was slightly taller than her. He decided not to point this out. He was too tired anyway. He felt as though it was déjà vu except that Toshiro was the one being pulled up instead of Karin.

"Okay," he told her.

_This is going to take some getting used to,_ Toshiro decided. Karakura was still bland in Toshiro's opinion but the inhabitants . . . Toshiro glanced at Karin from the corner of his eye as they walked side by side back towards her house. The inhabits were another story all together. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad.

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING OUTSIDE WITH MY SISTER IN THE DARK YOU PERVERTED MIDGET?!"

Or maybe not.

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_Author's Note #2: And now for the reviews:_

_tazbird: I hope you liked this chapter, my goal is always to please when I write!_

_KarainKurosakiHitsugaya913: I love Karin and Toshiro as well. My friend says in episode 132 he had the perfect opportunity to kiss her and he didn't, I agree with her. Plus who doesn't love being accused of becoming a stalker?_

_Durbe the Barbarian: This was mainly inspired by the fact that apparently, Toshiro's a workaholic not that I ever really realized this but it is fun._

_Nearly: Why use a hashtag in a review? Just curious._

_Yemi Hikari: I know that Toshiro relies on his Zanpakuto but I thought that maybe this way a) there would be no Hollow interruptions and b) it humanizes him and forces him to learn how to live without it so he can learn not to depend on it as much. _

_Forever122: Thank you, I always like being told I write well._


	3. The Try Out

_Author's Note #1: So I just started the Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc. I haven't finish the anime for your information. As for Karin and her age? Since the way I see things, this was always 3 years in the future of the time before the time skip which means that Karin was 11 before. 3 years later puts her at 14 and I hear (cause my schoolings all screwed up) you enter high school when you're 15 so she's still a grade schooler. I think I might've accidentally made Toshiro out of character more than I wanted to but I think it's okay. This is shorter than the other chapter but I hope you like it! I'm so glad I got more than 5 reviews! This is serious motivation here! I do not own _**_Bleach_**_ or else there'd be more episodes with Toshiro and he would've gone bankai more often in the _**_Diamond Dust Rebellion_**_ movie. At least 5 more reviews please, I'd be happy with more though too._

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Chapter Two: The Try Out

"ICHI-NII, I'M GOING OUT, OKAY? BE BACK LATER!"

Toshiro knew that while Matsumoto was loud whenever she got drunk and began hollering, it was nothing in comparison to Karin. Karin's shouting made him flinch and though he also knew that her brother was also a loud person he hadn't known such a big noise could come from such a small girl.

"WAIT!"

The two slowly turned around to see Kurosaki Ichigo bearing over his younger sister with a frown on his face. "Where are you going?" he demanded.

"None of your business Ichi-nii!" Karin snapped, rolling her eyes.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo repeated more firmly this time.

"Relax Kurosaki," Toshiro said, rolling his eyes. "We're going out to the soccer field, alright? Does that satisfy you?" Toshiro asked. He had changed from his black polo into a black shirt with a silver tie and a maroon sweatshirt.

"I didn't know you played soccer Toshiro," Ichigo said, staring at the prodigy in confusion. He didn't miss the way Toshiro flinched at the lack of respect in Ichigo's tone. "When did that happen? Do the other taichos know?"

Toshiro didn't answer. He had never told the others that he had come a few times to the World of the Living to participate as a substitution for Karin's team. In his opinion, it was none of their business. He could do what he wanted when he had a break. Recently though, he hadn't taken his recommended week long vacation for the past while- hence the forced vacation. Toshiro's mouth drew into a thin line instead.

"Do they even have soccer in the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked.

"Argh, Ichi-nii if you don't let us go, Toshiro won't be able to try out," Karin said, rolling her eyes. Ichigo noticed Toshiro didn't even blink at the use of his first name._ Not fair, how come _she_ gets to call him by his first name. And try outs? Wait-_

"You're joining Karin's soccer team?" Ichigo demanded.

"You're holding us up Ichi-nii," Karin said before grabbing Toshiro by the arm and dragging him outside before Ichigo could protest much more.

"So I was just wondering, you said that you were forced to take a vacation to have fun," Karin said after a moment of silence between the two as they walked. "It got me thinking. What does the Soul Society consider fun?"

"What do you mean?" Toshiro asked, watching as Karin threw the ball from one hand to the other as she walked. He wondered briefly why it was that she seemed so interested in a sport which, in his opinion, had the same principle as making a dog run after a stick. The ball was kicked in one direction and people followed it with the goal of retrieving it to kick it away from themselves once more. It seemed completely pointless to him.

"I mean what do people do for fun in the Soul Society? Surely you guys do other things than beat those monsters, right?"

"They're called Hollows," Toshiro corrected sharply before thinking for a moment. "I'm not quite sure. The majority of the time, we're fighting because we're at war with our latest enemy. We don't really have time for fun."

Karin blinked. "And Rukia says the Soul Society is a place of peace," she muttered under her breath. Clearly the word meant something different to shinigamis. "What about in between wars?"

"In between wars we're repairing damages to the Soul Society. Your brother destroyed a large amount of buildings during his time as a ryoka," Toshiro remembered. Though he himself had never personally encountered Ichigo when he was going to save Rukia he had heard that Squad 4 had been very busy and that repairs had been needed almost constantly. Kurosaki Ichigo left a trail of destruction in his path wherever he went.

"You've never gone to a soccer game? Or played basketball? I don't play but Ichi-nii's good at it, probably cause he's so tall," Karin said thoughtfully before returning to scold the taicho for his lack of experience in the fields of fun. "You've never pulled a prank on someone?"

"A prank?" Toshiro repeated, staring at her confused.

"You're hopeless," Karin muttered before they stopped, having reached their destination.

Toshiro resisted the urge to tell her that not only was he older than her, but he was more accomplished, not to mention the fact that he was considered a leader in the Soul Society but he resisted. In the World of the Living, though Toshiro was undoubtably decades older than Karin, he looked as though he were her age, if not younger. She would most likely call him a midget again and then he'd really be mad.

"We're going to pass the ball back and forth down the field, alright?" Karin asked. "When you get to the end of the field, we'll turn around and go back. Try not to let the ball get away from you."

Toshiro nodded in understanding.

Once they both started, Karin noticed that Toshiro was silent. The conversation they had been having earlier came to an abrupt stop and he made no effort to continue it. He merely ran back and forth, kicking the ball to her with swift precision.

"Hey Midget!" she called to him from her side of the field.

Toshiro frowned. "My name's-"

"Yeah yeah, I got it," Karin cut him off.

Toshiro stared at her confused. Not many people interrupted him and got away with it. Maybe he didn't strike her down with his sword because it was currently absent or perhaps it was because he was too in shock. But the truth was, he knew it couldn't have been the latter because Toshiro was one to quickly shake off shock. And yet it didn't feel like the first one . . .

"But seriously," Karin continued and Toshiro was shaken out of his contemplation. "Why don't you talk to me?"

"Talk to you?" Toshiro repeated, staring at her dazed.

"Yeah, talk," Karin said. "You know, you tell me stuff, I tell you stuff. You say serious things, I call you a grade schooler. You say you're not a grade schooler, I insult your height and your forehead starts throbbing . . . that sort of thing. What, conversation not a big thing in the Soul Society?"

"I just . . .-"

"If you're trying out for my team I want to be able to hold a conversation with you and not like that pathetic excuse of one from last night," Karin said, rolling her eyes.

Toshiro nodded.

"That's all you ever do. You nod. You grunt. You stare off into the distance indifferently. Do you have any personality without that sword on your back?" Karin asked, sending the ball towards him. They had stopped mid-way down the soccer field and she was merely trying to get the rhythm going again. "And if you can't answer, you can forget about even thinking about a spot on the team, see what that Yamamoto guy thinks of that!"

Toshiro sighed. "Firstly, it's my Zanpakuto," he replied. "Secondly-"

"What?" Karin yelled from the other side of the field. "I can't hear you! Speak up!"

Toshiro got the distinct feeling she was mocking him and yet at the same time, he felt as though she was telling the truth. Toshiro knew that when he spoke his voice was often lower than necessary but to be fair, normally, the person he was talking to wasn't on the other side of a child's playing field.

"Firstly," he called out, "it's my Zanpakuto." He kicked the ball harshly in her direction. Karin had noticed early on that he was moving at a moderate pace. Faster than she could run so that she had to push herself to keep up but he held back. He was trying to avoid using shinigami tactics to play. Was that because without the sword he felt like he should just give up on shinigami life or was it because he wanted to get on the team with his own merit?

"And secondly?" Karin demanded loudly before kicking the ball back to him.

"Secondly," Toshiro said, "his name is Hyoinmaru!" He punctuated this sentence with a strong kick towards Karin.

"Okay, let me get this straight. You have a sword which has a _name_ which also has a _gender_ which you carry on your _back_?" Karin asked, kicking the ball back.

Toshiro noticed that even from the distance he was at, he could see curiosity in her eyes. She wanted to know more about the Soul Society which made sense, considering her brother was the substitute and he would disappear for large amounts of times to be in the Soul Society. He figured, since she gave him hospitality, it would make sense for him to return the favour. Then again, Toshiro highly doubted it would be a smart idea to be screaming information about the Soul Society in the World of the Living while playing a meagre game of soccer with a human girl. He decided from then on if she had any questions about the Soul Society, he would answer them. Though not while he was screaming to be heard across the field.

"You've gone silent again Midget!" Karin called.

"I'M _NOT_ A MIDGET!" Toshiro snapped, sending the ball towards her with a great kick.

"Then how do you explain how short you are?" Karin demanded, raising an eyebrow.

Toshiro sighed. "Are we finished?"

"Yeah," Karin replied, picking up the ball and walking towards him. "However, we've got some things we need to work on. If I remember correctly, you're a ball hogger."

"Pardon?"

"Why are you so polite all the time?" Karin asked. "It's kind of annoying. Come on, we're going home."

Toshiro had no choice but to follow her seeing as the Kurosakis expected him back and her brother would blow a fit. He bit his bottom lip. He was used to leading and having Matsumoto behind him, following him. He was used to calling the shots, having others do what he said. It wasn't that he was a brat, honestly, it wasn't. It was just that after a few years as a taicho for Squad 10, he had become accustomed to that way of living.

"What do you mean by 'ball hogger'?" Toshiro asked, not understanding not only what a "ball hogger" was or why Karin said it like it was a bad thing.

"Whenever you play you don't often pass to others," Karin explained. "You don't depend on others when you're on the field. That's not the way soccer works. You need to be able to rely on other team members to call the shots, not only you. You can't have complete control or else you'll never learn about teamwork."

Now that he thought about, he knew that when he gave out commands, while he did trust the other members of his squad and members of the Soul Society to follow them out had he ever truly allowed someone to watch his _own_ back? Had he ever asked for someone who he trusted to help him in battle?

Though at first glance soccer and fighting had nothing to with each other- one was a childish game and another was a fierce battle to the death- Toshiro found similarities. Karin was right. You depended on your players like you depended on your soldiers. You learnt of teamwork and yet at the same time how to stand on your own. You learnt about trust in other people. Of course, the results weren't as fatal as in battle-

"Hey, Tosh, did I lose you there for a second?"

"Tosh?" Toshiro repeated, coming out of his daze.

"Yeah, short for Toshiro," Karin explained. "You know what? That's your new name. I'm going to call you Tosh."

"Better than Shiro," Toshiro found himself mumbling.

"What was that?" Karin asked.

"Nothing," Toshiro replied. "Nothing at all."

* * *

"You know what? I'm hungry," Karin declared.

Toshiro stared at the large clock around the square. They had been wandering for some time. For at least two hours they had been on the soccer field and it was now one in the afternoon. "So eat," Toshiro said with a shrug_. It's not that complicated, what does she expect me to do about it?_

"So were you born a shinigami?" Karin asked as she took a seat at a bar, eyeing the menu with fascination. "What do you think I should get?"

"Whatever you want," Toshiro replied with a shrug.

"So were you?" Karin asked as she counted her money, trying to find out how much she had so she could determine what she wanted to buy.

"Was I what?"

Karin rolled her eyes. "You're so stupid." Toshiro glared at her, his teal eyes set as the waiter came to give her the food she had ordered. "Yeah yeah, you're pissed, I can tell. But seriously, were you born a shinigami?"

Toshiro stared at the counter and could hear the rather faint sound of a glass being set on the table in front of him. "No," he replied finally.

"So then . . ." Karin stared at Toshiro from the side, curious. "So then how _do_ you become a shinigami?"

"Once you've gone through a konso," Toshiro said slowly, "which means that you've gone to the Soul Society. I suppose they call it passing over around here." He stared at the glass and slowly turned the straw around inside the glass. "Every soul goes to the Rukongai. Those with high spiritual pressure like you or your brother can then try to get into the Shinigami Academy. You spend three years there before you can become a shinigami," Toshiro explained.

"Interesting," Karin noted.

Toshiro stared at the straw curiously. He pulled it out from the glass and turned it over in front of him, squinting.

"What are you doing?" Karin asked, staring at him strangely. "You look like a nut job."

"A nut job?" Toshiro echoed, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

"It's a straw," Karin said. She pulled it from Toshiro's hands and put it into the glass. "Do they not have straws in the Soul Society?" she asked, taking hers from her drink and sipping from it.

Toshiro watched as the liquid from her drink slowly came up the bendy stick. He could see the white colour turn darker as the drink raced upwards until it settled near her lips, entering her body. Toshiro stared, amazed and confused. How was that possible?

"You don't know anything about this place, do you?" Karin asked, laughter clear in her onyx eyes. "Okay, look, it's really simple. You put the straw back in the glass." She directed Toshiro's slightly quivering hand, heat rising on his cheeks as she plopped the straw back into his glass. "And put your lips around the head of the straw like this." She leaned down over her own drink and put the straw in her mouth. "And then you suck."

Toshiro nodded and tried to copy her. "ARGH!"

Karin's eyes widened. "What is it?"

"What is this?" Toshiro asked, staring at the contents of the glass.

"It's coffee," Karin replied. "What, you don't like it? Don't they have coffee in the Soul Society?"

"Coffee?" Toshiro repeated her words.

"I dunno, I just thought you seemed like the kind of guy who'd like coffee. You know since you're like an old man trapped in a little kid's body and Ichi-nii likes coffee and so does my Otosan." Karin shrugged. "Is it that bad?"

"No," Toshiro replied. "It was just a surprise. And strong. Very strong," he added under his breath.

"How old are you?" Karin asked.

"That's none of your concern," Toshiro replied.

"Why are you so defensive?" Karin asked, turning to him with a confused expression on her face. "I heard only women get that protective over their age. What, are you like thirty or something?"

"Are you comparing me to a woman?" Toshiro asked through gritted teeth.

Toshiro glanced at Karin, daring her to answer. What would she say? He knew Matsumoto was the kind of person who would say "No way taicho," but she'd cover her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh. He knew that most of the people he knew would do the same thing, if not full out deny it with a stony expression that was too harsh to be real. But Kurosaki Karin was something he was uncertain about.

"Yes!"

Toshiro's eyes widened. She was laughing. She had the audacity to laugh at him. She tossed her head back as she chuckled, holding her stomach as the laughter consumed her. She smashed her hand against the counter as she tried to regain her breath.

"It's not nearly that funny, " Toshiro replied unamused.

"Yes it is," Karin said, trying to speak through her laughter. "You just don't see the humour in it!"

_Why is it that I feel like smiling? Why do I feel like laughing?_ Toshiro shook his head. No, he didn't feel like smiling. He didn't feel like laughing either. Her laughter wasn't endearing, it was annoying. "Stop it," Toshiro said, his grip on the hot glass thawing his cold skin.

"No way!" Karin said, trying not to fall over.

"As taicho of Squad 10 I order you to stop!" Toshiro commanded, his fists curling and his knuckles turning pale. He felt so weak without his Zanpakuto. He couldn't do much but say threats that couldn't be backed up.

"You can't do that," Karin said, drying away a stray tear. Why was she crying? Was she crazy? How could she laugh and cry at the same time? Toshiro couldn't understand it and he didn't like not understanding things. "I'm not a part of your Squad," Karin told him, rolling her eyes. She stopped her shaking body and tried to catch her breath. "You can't boss me around. And giving out commands like that without that taicho uniform? You look like a whining kid!" She wiped away another tear.

"Why are you crying?" Toshiro asked. "I thought you found this amusing, not depressing," he said, folding his arms across his chest.

"I'm laughing," Karin said. "Some people laugh so hard that they cry," Karin explained. By the blank look on Toshiro's face she knew he had never heard of this before. "Do you live under a rock or something?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind," Karin said with a sigh. "Anyway, we'd better get back, Ichi-nii doesn't need another reason to kill you. Let's go Tosh."

For some reason, it felt natural to him to listen to this name. To respond to the nickname Karin had only just given him. He slipped out of his seat from the bar and searched through his pockets before placing some yen on the counter.

"Why are you paying?" Karin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm the guest," Toshiro replied.

"You've got so many manners," Karin said, shaking her head. "Ah, doesn't matter. We'll corrupt you soon enough." Toshiro looked at her strangely at this but she waved away his confused expression. "Either way you're not paying."

"And why not?" Toshiro asked.

"Because you can't," Karin said. "It's just wrong!"

"What's so wrong about paying for a meal?" Toshiro demanded. He sighed and tried to remain neutral. "It doesn't matter anyway because I'm paying."

"You can't do that though!"

"Well then you better give me a damn better reason then because it's 'wrong'!" Toshiro yelled, trying not to lose his temper over something as trivial as who was to for the meal.

"BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT BOYFRIENDS DO!"

Toshiro's eyes widened largely at this. He blinked once. Twice. Thrice.

It took less than point five seconds.

They were both as red as a tomato.

"Doesn't matter," Toshiro finally managed to say through pursed lips. "I'm paying." He left the yen on the table before shoving his hands into his pockets and trudging off. "You coming?" he asked as he tried to fight down the blush so that once Karin reached him, he wasn't as red as Matsumoto after a night of drinking.

"Uh, thanks," Karin said quietly, walking next to him.

There was no conversation on the way back to the Kurosaki's house.

* * *

"TOSHIROOOOOO-UMPH!"

Kurosaki Isshin's face was pressed against the wooden floor of the Kurosaki Clinic. Despite being pushed into the floorboards of his very own home, Isshin was fine with this fact. His eyes were sparkling and his mouth was curved into a smile. He picked himself up from the floor and grabbed Toshiro into a tight hug just as the young taicho was dusting off his pants.

"Oh, my new second son is already better than my first son!" Isshin cried happily. He tousled Toshiro's hair with a smile on his face. "It took Ichigo at least three years before he could dodge me and for you it took only a day!"

"Alright shrimp," Ichigo said, poking Toshiro in the chest as Toshiro tried to breathe despite the lung-crushing hug the father of the substitute had him in. "What did you do with my sister?"

Toshiro pulled himself out of Isshin's grip. "Must you interrogate me?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes, I must, especially when it concerns my little sister!" Ichigo shouted at him. "Now why don't we have a little talk?" he demanded.

"KUROSAKI!"

"Tosh, calm down," Karin said, rolling her eyes.

"SO NOW IT'S _TOSH_? WHAT'S NEXT? _SHIRO_?!" Ichigo demanded, glaring at Toshiro who merely stared back at the orange haired teen with boredom on his face.

"Kami forbid," Toshiro muttered under his breath. He rubbed his temples gently, trying to calm himself down. "If you don't mind, I'm getting some fresh air."

* * *

"HEY! TOSH!"

Toshiro's view of the sun was cut off abruptly when a black shirt covered his face. Slowly, he pulled the fabric from his face to see the number ten on the back. The word: Hitsugaya written in white.

"What's this?" Toshiro asked, staring at the shirt. He glanced at Karin confused.

Karin smirked and leaned against the railing that Toshiro was sitting on. "Welcome to the team."

* * *

_Author's Note #2: Thanks to the following for the reviews:_

_orangetornado__: I'm not quite sure who got kicked out just yet but I'll figure that out. Hope you liked this chapter!_

_MysticalNyla__: It's always nice to know others appreciate what I write._

_Durbe the Barian__: Yeah, uh, sorry about that name thing. I didn't mean any offence to that. Uh, out of curiosity, why'd you chose that name?_

_Guest__: Yeah, I didn't actually get to the part where we find out about Isshin's past. The anime tells me he's a Soul Reaper but I found out about the other thing elsewhere. I'm not going to elaborate on that until I'm sure I won't screw that up._

_Sirana__: I try to be funny._

_Becky__: Thanks for praising me. I hope the rest of our anime fan fiction reading goes as well as this!_

_Paulie MickyJ:__ Just curious how can they be both serious and immature?_

_forever122__: Yeah, so I heard that Karin's actually 136 centimetres. Toshiro stands at 133, which means she's 3 centimetres taller than him but his hair makes him taller than her. (Gotta love anime hair!) but anyway, I decided I didn't want Toshiro to grow so much because we all love Short Toshiro and yet I kinda would've liked him to be taller than Karin so therefore he's slightly taller than her._

_drake parker__: Thanks!_


	4. The New Student

_Author's Note #1: I don't own **Bleach**. I am so sorry I haven't updated in a while, school's been crazy and I've been sick for like, 3 weeks. I'm STILL sick actually. So I hope they're not out of character, I feel like they are a bit. I don't own anyone except for Hayate Haruto and Haruko Anade. I know, Haruto and Haruko are just a letter apart from each other, but either way, that's their names. Okay, thanks for reviews are in the last author's note and also, there's a japanese phrase in here cause I thought it would be cool if I could put something like that in. Also, props if you can figure out which fictional character (not from anime) is like Toshiro in the sense that he doesn't know about the solar system. Also, I made it like this because I don't remember any point where shinigamis knew about the solar system so this is on the assumption they know nothing about that sort of thing. Last but not least, I chose Toshiro's outfit and I hope you can imagine him wearing it! FIVE REVIEWS BEFORE MY NEXT UPDATE! I hope you guys like it!_

* * *

Chapter Three: The New Student

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Toshiro-kun?"

Pause.

"Toshiro-kun, it's time to get up or you'll be late-"

"That's no way to wake him up Yuzu, he'll never hear you like that. HEY TOSH! GET YOUR LAZY ASS OUT OF BED YOU DAMN MIDGET BASTARD!"

Silence.

Kurosaki Karin sighed and pushed open the door to the guest bedroom. She and her twin looked around but found that there was no one in sight. Confused, Karin squinted, trying to see if she had missed the midget because of his short size. And then she saw the open window.

_He didn't!_

He did.

Karin found the silver haired shinigami sitting on the roof of the house opposite of hers, his back to her. She could see the back of his shirt and the outline of his body - as small as it was- before Yuzu thought to look out the window. Karin sighed.

"C'mon Yuzu, we'll find him later, don't you have a breakfast to make?" Karin asked.

"Oh, yes! Of course! Though, we need to buy more watermelon for Toshiro-kun. It seems to be the only thing he eats!" Yuzu said with a smile. "And he eats so fast, faster than Ichi-nii and you know how much Ichi-nii likes his food!" She giggled softly. "I'll make you eggs, okay Karin?"

Karin nodded and waited until Yuzu had left the room before sticking her head out the window and scowling.

"Tosh! Get your ass down here right now!"

Toshiro turned his head slowly towards her before rolling his eyes and jumping down from the roof to the window. He turned to face her and crossed his arms. "What?" he asked.

"No need to act so happy," Karin muttered.

"I wasn't," Toshiro replied, not understanding sarcasm.

"Anyway, get downstairs. Yuzu's making breakfast, you can't be late," Karin told him, turning towards the door and planning on exiting when Toshiro said,

"Late for what?"

Karin turned around and folded her arms. "You seriously don't know?"

Toshiro shook his head and it was obvious from the expression on his face that he didn't like not knowing something.

"School," Karin said. "You have to go to school."

"School?" Toshiro repeated, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

He remembered school. That awful building where humans were held up and forced to sit still in classes. Though Toshiro could sit through hours of paperwork on the occasion he took his breaks to walk around his barracks before settling back down and tackling the next pile. He couldn't stand it, all those people who stared at him and all the males who stared at Matsumoto with no respect. Though he was aware that others found Matsumoto attractive- only Kami knew why- the least they could do was stare more subtly. Of course, Matsumoto hadn't cared but when you were on an undercover mission being gawked at was the last thing you wanted. Plus, though Toshiro enjoyed his taicho's uniform (it helped others acknowledge him as a taicho despite his age and uh, height) he hated the human ties. They were suffocating and surely a strange human form of torture.

"Yeah, school," Karin said, rolling her eyes. "Now come on, Yuzu's got breakfast-"

"I don't go to school," Toshiro cut her off. He rarely interrupted others though he felt the need to mention that there was no way he was putting himself through the horrors of those dreadful halls and the lockers which seemed to be a hiding alcove and if you didn't hide in the locker, someone would most likely shove you into one. Sadly, Toshiro was one of the few people who could fit perfectly into a locker and still have some room to move.

"As long as you're on vacation in the World of the Living, you go to school. My Otosan already signed you up," Karin said.

"When did he do that?"

"Last night," Karin replied. "Don't worry, you won't have to worry about going to Ichi-nii's high school." Toshiro nearly let out a sigh of relief before he began to feel rather confused. If he wasn't going to Ichigo's high school, where _was_ he going? "You'll be coming with me to Karakura Middle School."

_Yamamoto, I want my paperwork back!_

* * *

"Who's the new kid?"

"I hear he's a juvenile delinquent, got off parol recently."

"No way! He's too small to be some criminal!"

"How do you think he robs a bank? He can't walk through the front door, going through the vents must be easy for him!"

Karin noticed Toshiro's stiff posture as he walked down the hall next to her, the vein in his forehead throbbing. "Ignore them," she told him but he didn't lighten up at all. In fact, his jaw clenched tightly and his shoulders squared. Karin found herself fascinated by the tensed jaw, her eyes staring at it before Toshiro spoke and she was broken out of her reverie.

"They're not staring at you, now are they?" Toshiro asked through tight lips as he wanted to disappear into the ground. He couldn't understand why they were staring. It didn't make sense to him.

"Well, by default, they are," Karin pointed out. Seeing as she stood next to him, each of her classmates were giving her strange looks as they walked down the hall. "They have every reason to stare though. I mean, it's not every day a silver haired midget comes to school."

Toshiro's fists clenched and he bit his bottom lip, as though by doing this he could conceal his rage and stop any attack (with a Zankpakuto or not) he may unleash. "Yes well . . ."

"What? You should get used to it, I mean, it was normal when you were in grade school but in middle school? Come on, you have to admit, it's pretty damn stupid to be this short."

"You're shorter than me!" Toshiro snapped.

"Yes, but only by a little. I have yet to get my growth spurt," Karin replied. Toshiro frowned. The idea of Karin being taller than him was unnerving. Karin waved her hand as though to shoo away the topic of heights and instead, she entered a class, waiting impatiently for Toshiro to follow her.

When Toshiro entered the class, he almost immediately was guided by a stranger's hand to the very front of the class. A woman with kind brown eyes was smiling down at him. Due to instinct, Toshiro didn't trust her.

"You must be the transfer student, Hitsugaya Toshiro, right?"

Toshiro didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?"

Toshiro stared at her, confused.

There was silence.

Toshiro blinked.

The class blinked.

And then-

A hand shot up from amongst the crowd of students.

"Why are you so short?"

Toshiro gritted his teeth. "What'd you say?" he demanded, his fists clenched at his side.

"Class, we are to welcome Hitsugaya-san into our class with open arms, understood?" the sensei asked. Toshiro wondered briefly what her name was, but quickly dismissed it as unimportant. "Now Hitsugaya-san, why don't you take a seat next to Kurosaki-chan?"

Toshiro walked towards the seat next to Karin before sitting down and folding his hands into his lap. He glanced at her from the side before looking back at his desk, noticing the sanded wood that needed some polishing.

"Now, our latest unit is on the solar system," the sensei said. "I'm going to hand out a little quiz to review the basics and then we're going to delve deeper into the topic." Taking out a stack of papers, she began to walk down the aisles, setting each paper on a student's desk.

Toshiro stared down at the paper with a blank look on his face. The solar system? What was that? The Soul Society never had him learn anything about that. Perhaps it was because the solar system was trivial, that could be the only explanation as to why he and never learnt, nor heard about such a thing.

He stared at the questions.

_1. How many planets are there?_

_2. What are their names?_

_3. Which are gas giants?_

_4. What is the asteroid belt and where is it?_

Toshiro suddenly realized that besides the fact that he didn't understand these questions, he didn't have a pencil either. Closing his eyes momentarily, Toshiro tried to clear his mind of the panic that was beginning to rise in his throat. If Yamamoto wanted him to stay in the World of the Living until he had some "fun", he still had to blend in and failing a pop quiz on a matter that seemed trivial to everyone else would not bode well.

Assuming this was like the written tests in the Soul Society, as few of them as there were, speaking during testing time was against the regulations. He couldn't ask Karin for a pencil, not that it mattered since all he knew to write was his name. It didn't look good to write only your name, but then again, it wasn't all that great to write nothing at all.

Toshiro was left with no choice but to sit in silence during the next fifteen minutes as people answered the questions on the test.

"Time's up!" the sensei declared with a smile as she began to pick up the quizzes. She halted suddenly when she spotted Toshiro's paper. Picking it up, she inspected it carefully. "Was there a problem Hitsugaya-san?"

"I didn't have a pencil," Toshiro replied sheepishly._ I also didn't know any of the answers_, he added but he kept it to himself.

"You didn't purchase any school supplies?" the sensei asked curiously.

"The transfer was rather sudden," Toshiro said.

"I see . . ." The sensei thought for a moment. "If I give you a pencil, can you retake the quiz?"

Toshiro wondered what to say. The results would be the same in the end. He decided the best option was to tell the truth. After all, lying didn't help much.

"Sensei, I don't know anything about the solar system," Toshiro admitted as much as he hated to say it. The words "solar system" left his tongue in a weird fashion, unused to saying such words.

"Oh?" she replied.

"My . . . old school . . . didn't teach me these things," Toshiro said.

Karin stared at Toshiro amazed. "You don't know about the solar system?" she asked, her eyes wide. "That's impossible! It's one of the most basic things to ever exist!"

"Shut up," Toshiro snapped.

"Are you stupid or something?"

Toshiro turned at the sound of the voice. He found himself glaring at a light haired boy, his brown eyes filled with mirth. "Wow, you're a moron."

Damn schools, they're not good for anything.

"Well . . ." the sensei seemed uncomfortable with the fact that the silver haired student was dimmer than most in the most common knowledge. "I'll have to assign you a tutor. I suppose someone your age would be best for this sort of thing . . ." Toshiro rolled his eyes._ No one here is near my age,_ he thought to himself. "Who here is willing to tutor Hitsugaya-san?"

Silence.

This was clearly not the warm welcoming the sensei had been counting on, not that Toshiro had expected his arrival to be well-received.

"It's fine," Toshiro said. "I can just-"

"I'll teach him," Karin cut him off. Toshiro glared at her. He did not like being cut off, and besides that he didn't like the idea of needing help. He had his pride! "Besides, it'll be easy since we live together."

"You're living with that midget?" someone asked.

Toshiro's head snapped around to whoever had spoken to see a girl with blonde pig-tails in her hair. She looked stupid in his opinion. He glared at her. For some reason Toshiro couldn't understand, her gaze suddenly became softer. Her finger went up to her hair and slowly, she twirled one of her pig-tails around the pale finger. _Humans are strange creatures, _Toshiro concluded.

"You will?" the sensei said. "Wonderful!" She clapped her hands together with the brightest smile on her face, nearly convincing him that her face was going to split open. "Now, moving onward towards our next line of business . . ."

* * *

"What was that back there?" Karin asked the second they left class. Toshiro followed her, not knowing where to go and though he didn't like being the follower and not the leader, he didn't think it'd be wise to get lost on his first day at school. It was as dreadful as he remembered it.

Toshiro shoved his hands into his pockets as Karin stopped at her locker. He pushed himself against the locker next to hers and shrugged.

"I thought you were a prodigy."

"I _am_ a prodigy," Toshiro defended himself against her incredulous look. "What is this 'solar system' you humans speak of anyway?"

"You have to be kidding, right?" Karin asked. "The solar system's the solar system!" Toshiro rolled his eyes. "Explain to me how you can possibly be a prodigy and yet at the same time not know about the solar system."

"I'm a _shinigami_ prodigy," Toshiro said. "We learn about Hado and Kido, not about 'solar system's."

"Hey shorty! Move it!"

Toshiro was roughly pushed in the shoulder by a taller, mean looking teenager. His beady black eyes reminded Toshiro strongly of a Hollow. "Pardon?" Toshiro asked.

"_Pardon_?" the boy repeated. "Pardon my ass, you're in front of my locker!"

Toshiro backed away as the boy dropped his bag on the floor and began to enter his locker combination. "Who's this new guy, Kurosaki-san?" the boy asked, nodding in Toshiro's direction.

"Haruto Hayate, Hitsugaya Toshiro," Karin said with a sigh, gesturing between both boys. "Now can you beat it? You've put away your stupid books, why don't you just scram to the cafeteria?"

"Shut up Kurosaki-san!" The boy slammed his locker shut before storming off.

"Cafeteria?" Toshiro repeated once the boy was gone.

"Yeah, we get to eat," Karin said. She grabbed Toshiro's arm, much to his surprise. "C'mon."

"But I'm not hungry-"

"Too bad," Karin snapped. "Around here, we all eat at the same time."

Toshiro sat with his back against the wired fence, Karin eating a sandwich next to him.

"Why do you wear a tie?" Karin asked suddenly, eyeing the silver tie around his neck. His black shirt made it stand out despite the dark blue sweatshirt he wore on top. His jeans were black as well. "Ichi-nii hates those things."

Toshiro didn't have an answer, so he didn't say anything.

"Hey, you know we have soccer practice tomorrow, right?" Karin asked. "You can't miss it. I didn't kick anyone off the team since it can't hurt to have more than the necessary amount of players, but that doesn't mean you can slack off."

"Okay," Toshiro said with a sigh, a bored expression on his face.

"Um . . . Hitsugaya-san?"

They both looked up to see the girl from homeroom with blonde hair staring at Toshiro. Her cheeks were flushed as she stared at her feet.

"Hey Haruko-san," Karin greeted the girl. "Tosh, this is Haruko Anade," she said, gesturing towards the fumbling girl.

"Um . . ." Anade stared at her feet. "I was wondering Hitsugaya-san . . . if . . ."

Toshiro stared at the girl anxiously, wondering why it was taking her so long to finish a single sentence. He considered himself well tempered, having much patience however at the moment he was in a bad mood as it was.

"Would Hitsugaya-san mind if I helped you in science?!" the girl belted out the words with her eyes shut tightly, her fists at her side, as though the words that came tumbling out made her visibly sick.

Toshiro's eyes widened. He glanced at Karin and was unsure of what to say.

"Sorry Haruko-san, but I'm already Tosh's tutor," Karin said.

The girl nodded, dejection clear in her eyes. "Sorry for bothering you then," Anade mumbled before shuffling away.

"Wow."

"What?"

"You've been here for less than a day and you've already got a fan," Karin said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?"

Karin rolled her eyes. "You're kidding me, right? For a supposed genius, you're pretty dumb," Karin said. "She likes you."

Toshiro's eyes widened.

"You are so clueless," Karin muttered. "_Suki desu_ was practically written on her face!" Karin shook her head. "Honestly, do shinigamis live under rocks?"

Toshiro didn't know what to say and instead chose to stare at the ground, particularly at the small patch of grass that grew in the cement.

"Come on Lover Boy, we've got to get to our next class."

Toshiro merely shook his head before getting up.

* * *

TRANSLATIONS (for your sake and mine so that I know exactly what I'm talking about)

_Otosan_= father

_san_= suffix for someone you don't know that well

_kun_= honorific, usually used when talking about males

_shinigami_= Death God

_nii_= name used for older brother

_suki desu_= "I like you"

Now for the reviews!

_**orangetornado**_: Yeah, my friend came up with it and said she liked it way better than Shiro, plus there's also the fact that she LOVES Karin & Tosh stories! (even though she says she hates fanfiction)

_**Guest**_: So I tried to read the manga, using this awesome manga app which has become the most used app on my entire iPad, which includes Safari and Chrome, but the thing is that there are like, what, 600 chapters in Bleach? I figured if I waited until I read all the manga to update again it would never be done, so I haven't finished the manga yet. I'm on like, only chapter 15. Though I skipped to 81 to see how Toshiro looks the first time you see him and he barely made the page, all the taichos lined up and I could only tell he was there by his hair!

_**Durbe the Barian**_: Okay, yeah, I've heard of Yu Gi Oh: Zexal, never seen it, never heard of this character, but I have heard of the Yu Gi Oh series. Once met this guy who was so obsessed with the cards, I didn't like him. He kept beating me. That and he sucked at explaining the rules. I think you should use the Squad 10 flower for the flowers for his grave if you intend to throw a funeral for him. Just a suggestion.

_**Paulie MickyJ:**_ Interesting, I never thought of Toshiro as a brat, the only time I really thought he acted the age he looked was when someone mentioned his height. What do you mean by his working to be childlike psyche? Though I totally agree about Rukia and Karin.

**_Randomness-sama_**: This is great, it's always nice to know more people are reading!


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